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XNA - NeHe Style (Projects 1 - 10) Source Code

Started by JWalsh Sep 18, 2007 at 7:52 PM 28 replies 32.5k views
Original Post
JWalsh
JWalsh
Hail All, Short Form: I've implemented the first NeHe tutorial in XNA. The project and related files are located here. Features: - 800x600 Resizeable Window - Fullscreen Toggleable (F1 Key) - Mouse is visible in Windowed Mode, Hidden in Full-Screen Mode - Update and Draw only if Window has Focus - 16 bit(565) BackBuffer (Same as NeHe's Tutorials) - Clears BackBuffer and DepthBuffer on Draw Call - Terminates with ESC Key Anyone interested in downloading the zip file, checking out the code, running the program etc...are encouraged. Please provide feedback about coding style, implementation details, etc... Long Form: Through a series of fortunate events I've suddenly found myself in a situation of needing to learn XNA relatively quickly. For me, the best way to learn something new is to just give it a try, "kick the tires" so to speak, and see what I can do with the framework or language. In the spirit of that, I've decided to implement all of the NeHe tutorials in XNA. I'm sure it has probably been done before already, but that doesn't solve my immediate problem of needing to learn the framework, and learning best through experience. At any rate, I just wanted to post here and make my XNA Framework, as implemented in NeHe's Tutorial 1, available to everyone. Please feel free to provide feedback, and as I work my way through the tutorials I'll continue to post my projects, etc... Once again, the download is located here. Updates/Errata: While working on project #2 I found a bug in the ResetProjection() method. I will update it in the downloadable source. However, if you want to make the changes locally, it should read: 

protected void ResetProjection()
{
    Viewport viewport = graphics.GraphicsDevice.Viewport;

    // Set the Projection Matrix.  Make sure to cast one of the viewport sides
    // to a FLOAT.  Otherwise it's truncated, and you dont get a correct aspect ratio.
    projectionMatrix = Matrix.CreatePerspectiveFieldOfView(MathHelper.PiOver4,
        (float)viewport.Width / viewport.Height, 0.1f, 100.0f);
}
Cheers! [Edited by - JWalsh on September 25, 2007 1:03:27 PM]
Driv3MeFar
Driv3MeFar
JWalsh, I'm surprised you have time to get anything job-related done with all the things you do around here [lol]. I love the idea of doing some NeHe-style XNA tutorials (though, hopefully with some better code than NeHe). Can't look at the code ATM but I'll provide more feedback when I can
JWalsh
JWalsh
Project 2 Completed!

I've implemented the second NeHe tutorial in XNA. The project and related files are located here.

Features:
- Displays two white shapes drawn with TriangeStrips

Anyone interested in downloading the zip file, checking out the code, running the program etc...are encouraged. Please provide feedback about coding style, implementation details, etc...

Updates/Errata
9/19/2007, 3:00pm PT
I've discovered that you can embed changes to the effect object, such as transforms, etc...within a call to Begin() on the effect and pass, so long as you call CommitChanges() before rendering additional primitives.

Additionally, I reverted the BackBuffer to it's default value - a 32bit ARGB format, rather than a 16bit BGR. The smooth shading on the triangle of project 3 looks MUCH better.

9/20/2007, 2:00pm PT
Uploaded new source which corrected a problem with resources not being correctly restored when a device was lost.



[Edited by - JWalsh on September 20, 2007 3:41:02 PM]
Moe
Moe
Cool. How far do you think you will be going with these tutorials? Just until you know enough to get away with what you were needing to do?

With the increasing popularity of XNA, it might be worth while to continue (or find someone else to continue) the tutorials...

That, and I wouldn't worry about setting it to a 16 bit back buffer. If XNA handles it, let XNA do it. Besides, when is the last time that a video card was released that didn't support at least a 24 bit depth buffer?
JWalsh
JWalsh
Project 3 Completed!

I've implemented the third NeHe tutorial in XNA. The project and related files are located here.

Features:
- The Triangle is drawn with Vertex Coloring enabled
- The Rectangle is drawn with the VC Disabled, but with a specified diffuse material

Anyone interested in downloading the zip file, checking out the code, running the program etc...are encouraged. Please provide feedback about coding style, implementation details, etc...

Updates/Errata
9/20/2007, 2:00pm PT
Uploaded new source which corrected a problem with resources not being correctly restored when a device was lost.



[Edited by - JWalsh on September 20, 2007 3:45:51 PM]
jollyjeffers
jollyjeffers
Keep 'em coming [grin]

I'm gonna stick this to the top for now to avoid it getting 'lost' amongst the flow of other threads. I reckon this sort of thing could be very useful to people...

Cheers,
Jack
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evolutional
evolutional
wow... it'd be amazing to see a full series of these.
JWalsh
JWalsh
Project 4 Completed!

I've implemented the fourth NeHe tutorial in XNA. The project and related files are located here.

Features:
- The Triangle is rotated CCW about the Y-Axis
- The Rectangle is rotated CW about the X-Axis

Anyone interested in downloading the zip file, checking out the code, running the program etc...are encouraged. Please provide feedback about coding style, implementation details, etc...

Updates/Errata
9/20/2007, 2:00pm PT
Uploaded new source which corrected a problem with resources not being correctly restored when a device was lost.



[Edited by - JWalsh on September 20, 2007 3:10:18 PM]
Moe
Moe
JWalsh - you must be a mad man! If you keep churning these out at this rate, it'll only take a week to match NeHe!

I'll definitely have to check them out!
JWalsh
JWalsh
Quote:
Original post by Moe
JWalsh - you must be a mad man! If you keep churning these out at this rate, it'll only take a week to match NeHe!


Hehe, Thanks Moe.

Unfortunately, the speed at which I'm able to pump these out has more to do with XNA's ease of use than my sanity or mastery of the technology. I'm really just learning as I go along.

As an example, the OpenGL implementation of Project 4 was approximately 425 LoC. XNA, only 230 LoC.

While everyone now realizes "Lines-of-Code" isn't an effective measurement on which to base the efficiency or complexity of an algorithm or API, it does suggest that even with having to create a vertex declaration, a BasicEffect, and Transforms for both the triangle and rectangle (none of which is required in OpenGL), XNA is still a very powerful framework, and does a lot of the heavy lifting for you.

Finally we've got a DirectX technology that matches OpenGL in ease of use.

Cheers!
JWalsh
JWalsh
Project 5 Completed!

I've implemented the fifth NeHe tutorial in XNA. The project and related files are located here.

Features:
- Backface Culling has been re-enabled
- The triangle and square Triangle Strips have been replaced with Pyramid and Cube Triangle Lists
- The cube rotates on all 3 axes to make more sides visible

Anyone interested in downloading the zip file, checking out the code, running the program etc...are encouraged. Please provide feedback about coding style, implementation details, etc...

Updates/Errata
9/20/2007, 2:00pm PT
Uploaded new source which corrected a problem with resources not being correctly restored when a device was lost.



[Edited by - JWalsh on September 20, 2007 3:04:54 PM]
Alpha_ProgDes
Alpha_ProgDes
Two things:
1) I thought the general consensus here was that NeHe is bad for you.
2) Would it be too blasphemous a request to ask that these lessons be posted on NeHe's site...?

Last thing: Great f#$$ing job!!
Beginner in Game Development?  Read here. And read here.  
Driv3MeFar
Driv3MeFar
Quote:
Original post by Alpha_ProgDes
1) I thought the general consensus here was that NeHe is bad for you.


I always thought that NeHe's implementation was bad for you, in principle there's nothing wrong with it (except, perhaps, in creating more copy & paste beginners).
JWalsh
JWalsh
Project 6 Completed!

I've implemented the sixth NeHe tutorial in XNA. The project and related files are located here.

Features:
- Pyramid and Cube are now rendered with a texture map
- Pyramid and Cube no longer have vertex colors
- Fixed a bug causing resources to not be re-allocated on device lost (previous source code has been updated)

Anyone interested in downloading the zip file, checking out the code, running the program etc...are encouraged. Please provide feedback about coding style, implementation details, etc...



[Edited by - JWalsh on September 20, 2007 3:30:43 PM]
JWalsh
JWalsh
Project 7 Completed!

I've implemented the seventh NeHe tutorial in XNA. The project and related files are located here.

Features:
- Pyramid was removed, cube is now transformed to the center of the screen
- Cube is textured with a Crate texture using the Mipmapped Texture Importer
- "F" key toggles 3 different filtering modes: None, Linear, and Linear Mipmapped
- "L" key toggles on/off lighting
- "Up", "Down", "Left" and "Right" modifies rotation speed about local X and Y Axes
- "PageUp" and "PageDown" translates the cube in/out of the screen
- Fixed a bug causing previous key state not to be cached for later comparison

Anyone interested in downloading the zip file, checking out the code, running the program etc...are encouraged. Please provide feedback about coding style, implementation details, etc...

JWalsh
JWalsh
Project 8 Completed!

I've implemented the eighth NeHe tutorial in XNA. The project and related files are located here.

Features:
- Press "B" to toggle on/off Frame Buffer Alpha Blending
- Fixed a bug causing lighting to be reset if the device was lost

Anyone interested in downloading the zip file, checking out the code, running the program etc...are encouraged. Please provide feedback about coding style, implementation details, etc...

JWalsh
JWalsh
I'm going to be out of town for the weekend, so I wont be able to contribute to the XNA NeHe projects. But please feel free to provide any comments you might have about the source code, style, etc...

If you'd like to see projects completed based around a specific XNA topic, please speak up. I dont need to stick to NeHe's tutorials precisely. This is just a way for me to become familiar with the API, so I'm happy implement stuff beyond the NeHe tutorials.

Cheers!
Wan
Wan
Checking out some of the projects, I noticed you use the BasicEffect class rather than writing your own (simple) shaders. You could argue that mimicking the fixed pipeline like this is okay for very small demos like this, but since XNA really depends of the use of shaders, I would introduce them even in the early tutorials. Before things get more complicated and the use of shaders can realistically no longer be avoided, at least anyone who has used these projects as a learning tool will hopefully have a basic understanding of HLSL and the programmable pipeline by then.
WalterTamboer
WalterTamboer
Nice, I havn't looked at the source yet but I'm sure the projects will look sweet ;)

How about a subdomain like xna.gamedev.net? That way you can create a nehe-like website which, I'm sure, will be very populair.
JWalsh
JWalsh
Quote:
Original post by WanMaster
Checking out some of the projects, I noticed you use the BasicEffect class rather than writing your own (simple) shaders. You could argue that mimicking the fixed pipeline like this is okay for very small demos like this, but since XNA really depends of the use of shaders, I would introduce them even in the early tutorials. Before things get more complicated and the use of shaders can realistically no longer be avoided, at least anyone who has used these projects as a learning tool will hopefully have a basic understanding of HLSL and the programmable pipeline by then.


Wan,

Thanks for your suggestion. I'd considered making all of them use HLSL, rather than relying on the built in shader which is part of BasicEffect, however I couldn't justify writing a simple shader for use by all these beginning tutorials when there is a perfectly good one included in XNA.

Also, I wanted to try and fit the XNA implementations as closely as possible with the original OpenGL versions, and you'll note those weren't written in GLSL.

Finally, I follow a strict programming paradigm which is made up of several "rules." One of which is "Code by Necessity." Which simply means, if I dont have a reason to write it, I dont. Writing my own shader for these while a simple task, unnecessarily increases the lines of code, the development time, and the debug and maintenance time. Meanwhile, using the built in shader for the basic effects comes for free.

As soon as shaders are a necessity, they will be used. Even with that, however, I may go back and plug in a basic shader for the earlier projects, just so people can see how a simple shader is implemented.

Thanks again for the suggestion!

Cheers!

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